Various approaches have been taken in the past to deal with the problem of electrolyte spilling or leaking from a battery when it is tipped to any one of its sides or completely turned over. For example, a particular arrangement is disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 682,389, where a device is located in each electrolyte cell opening which is arranged to preclude liquid electrolyte from flowing out of the cell. This is accomplished by the use of a baffle device which is made of hydrophobic plastic resilient material and spaced from the sidewalls of the opening by no more than 0.3 millimeters. Thus, the baffle device, in view of its hydrophobic nature and the surface tension of the electrolyte, blocks outward flow of electrolyte, yet permits the escape of gases from the battery cell when the battery is upright. Such device is somewhat complex in nature, difficult to manufacture and keep in place in the battery and increases the overall height profile of the battery.
Another arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,620,370, where interior of the battery a sufficiently large enclosure is provided above the plates, such that when the battery is tipped to any one of its sides, the electrolyte does not rise to a level over the length of cell and enclosure to reach the opening for the cell vent. This arrangement, however, substantially increases the overall height profile of the battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,280 discloses a type of multiple vent plug assembly which provides for a plurality of enclosures in communication with one another and in communication with cells of a liquid electrolyte battery. When the battery is tipped to any one of its sides, the enclosures serve to contain electrolyte to a level such that the vent openings are filled with electrolyte and, due to the narrow constricting shape of the vent openings, offer obstruction to the discharge of electrolyte from the cells where the leaked electrolyte is accumulated in the enclosures. This type of arrangements may be acceptable in situations where the battery is tilted to its side and not subjected to vibration or other forms of movement, since the liquid will readily drip from the vent opening should the battery be moved about or vibrated while on its side. Thus the system of U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,280 does not provide a complete anti-spill device for batteries.
Aside from the above arrangements, far more complex arrangements are known which are used on aircraft battery and the like which, not only deal with the problem of electrolyte flowing from the cell when tipped to any one of its sides, but also maintains a battery in operation when completely inverted.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an anti-spill device for a liquid electrolyte battery which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, may provide a low overall height profile for the battery and is operable to contain electrolyte and prevent spillage thereof, when a battery is tipped toward or onto any one of its sides. This is most useful in batteries, such as car or motorcycle batteries, where during the handling thereof there may be an accidental tipping of the battery to any one of its sides. It may also be necessary that spillage be prevented for extended periods as the tipped battery has gone unnoticed. A further consideration is that, when the battery is in use, vehicles may be operated on such steep inclines that the battery requires an anti-spill device to prevent electrolyte loss while it is tilted. In righting the battery, a feature of the invention is that it may be adapted to return contained electrolyte to the battery cell from which it came to thereby restore it to its normal operating level.